The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed inventions, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Pumpkin is an important and valuable vegetable crop. Thus, a continuing goal of plant breeders is to develop stable, high yielding pumpkin hybrids that are agronomically sound or unique. The reasons for this goal are to maximize the amount of fruit produced on the land used (yield) as well as to improve the fruit appearance, the fruit shape and size, eating and processing qualities and/or the plant agronomic and horticultural qualities. To accomplish this goal, the pumpkin breeder must select and develop pumpkin plants that have the traits that result in superior parental lines that combine to produce superior hybrids.